Dimitrius conducts reconnaissance of the rapidly growing Christ community; Paul sends Sosthanes back to Corinth with important instructions. Aquila encourages Epaphras to minister in Colossae.
Acts 19:21-24; Galatians 4:19-29; Acts 21:18-21; Philippians 3:2-7
As a plume of steam billows above the walls behind them, Dimitrius and four others make their exit from the baths.
Dimitrius walks over to the side of the bath’s entrance and peers over a pony wall. An enormous woodpile comes into view, as two men continue to stoke the fires underneath the caldarium. Spotting his guy, he yells out, “Gaius!”
A sweaty head pokes out from behind the woodpile and looks up. Taking a moment to see where the voice was coming from, Gaius finally identifies Dimitrius and smiles. “Yes, sir.”
Dimitrius smiles in return and replies. “Nice temperature today.” He then tosses a coin down for Gaius to catch.
Gaius snatches the coin, wipes his forehead with his arm and smiles. “I know you like it hot, sir.” he says.
Rejoining the others on the street, Dimitrius exclaims with a wide gesture, “Gentlemen, look around you. We live in a splendid city. We have been spoiled.”
The others turn around and nod their heads.
“Look around you.” Dimitrius continues. “Do you see what we’ve built here? Do you see all of the construction going on around us? Even Rome has taken a renewed interest here and sees us as an invaluable city. Yet they let us rule ourselves without them.”
Wondering where this might be headed, the others stare back at him.
“Don’t you get it?” Dimitrius asks. “As long as we make them their money, Rome will stay out of our hair.”
The men slowly stroll in the middle of the quiet street as vendors greet them on their way to their own shops.
“Think about the lives we have built for ourselves.” Dimitrious continues. “And… You’re welcome by the way. We have built our little paradise here, haven’t we?” He doesn’t wait for a response. “Yet the tides are turning right before our very eyes, gentlemen. And, if we don’t do anything about it, all that we have built will be for not.”
…
The sails violently flutter, as the crew tries to secure them against the mast. The plank between the corbita and the quay shifts back and forth as the wind picks up.
Looking over at Sosthanes, Paul then nods towards the boat. “I think that’s your cue, my friend.”
“Yes,” Sosthanes replies. “Let’s hope I don’t trip off of that thing.”
Paul laughs and says. “I think you’ll be alright.” He then grabs ahold of Sosthanes’ shoulders and looks deeply into his golden-brown eyes. “Listen, my brother. You have done me a great favor by coming to Ephesus. I know your coming here hasn’t been easy on you or the other leaders who have felt your absence, but it tells me that you guys care enough about what God is doing.”
In a moment of in-kind solidarity, Sosthanes clasps onto Paul’s shoulders as well. “Of course!” He replies. “There is nothing worth more to me than making improvements within the body of Christ.”
Smiling, Paul lets out a heavy breath. He then looks over Sosthanes’ shoulder to see the boat begin to launch. “Remember, my friend. Send Timothy and maybe someone like Erastus back to Macedonia. They know and trust Timothy there. If Corinth has had troubles, enough to send you my way, then I suspect the folks in Berea, Thessalonica and Philippi need to be supported as well.”
“What will become of you?” Sosthanes asks. “Will you stay here?”
“For a time, yes.” Paul replies. “There is still much to do to make sure Ephesus is in good hands before I can move on. Once Timothy has checked in with the churches in Macedonia, he can then come here to report to me in person.”
“Oh…” Sosthanes says with a new realization. “Does that mean Timothy is to leave Corinth altogether?”
Seeing a crew member walking their way while waving his hands in the air, Paul and Sosthanes both turn to him. “Yes.” Paul replies. “I will need Timothy right here in Ephesus in the not-so-distant future.”
Expressing a flicker of grief, Sosthanes then says, “Then what is to become of Corinth?”
Interrupting their conversation, an irritated voice barks out. “If you’re coming with us, get on board. Now!” He then turns to head back to the vessel’s gangplank while grouching a litany of unidentifiable curses.
“You have strong leaders in Corinth.” Paul replies as he walks over to the gangplank and nudges Sosthanes to get on board. “You can figure that out amongst yourselves. Now get out of here.”
Carefully scrambling up the plank, Sosthanes makes it to the boat and finds himself standing face to face with the same angry crewman who immediately shoves him out of the way.
Watching the unpleasant interaction from the quay, Paul shrugs and waves. “May our Lord protect what He has entrusted to you and the other believers in Corinth. Fight for them, my friend. Fight for them!”
…
As one crowd exits the Hall of Tyrannus and gives way to the next group coming in, Aquila strolls over to his wife and smiles. “This place is packed, like… all day, everyday.”
Priscilla returns a smile and wryly replies, “Yes. And just so you know that I may or may not be keeping score, we gals outnumber you guys three to one.”
Aquila’s hands go up defensively as he quips, “You know there is nothing I can say here that will keep me out of the doghouse.”
Priscilla turns to scan the room and says. “Yes, I know.”
Aquila lets out a breath and a laugh.
“When are you going to talk with him?” Priscilla points over at a young man finishing up a conversation with two others.
“Soon.” Aquila replies. “In fact…”
Priscilla interrupts him and says, “You mean right now? Oh yes, I think that’s a great idea.”
She then pushes Aquila towards the young man.
“What’s your hurry Aquila?” Aquila mutters to himself as he walks away. “Oh right… I’m married.” He chuckles at his own joke and then turns around to see if she just witnessed it.
Staring right back at Aquila, Priscilla smirks.
Seeing Aquila make his way over, Epaphras comes to attention and wonders what might be on his mind. He then offers a simple wave and says, “Hi.”
“Let’s you and I take a walk.” Aquila offers.
Surprised, Epaphras then looks around at a group of men beginning to gather nearby and asks. “What should I do with them?”
Aquila waves them off. “Have one of them take the lead. It doesn’t matter.”
Confused, Epaphras quickly chats with one of the guys and walks back over to Aquila who awaits him at the door.
Placing his hand around his shoulder, Aquila says, “Walk with me.”
As the two continue down a quiet backstreet, Aquila looks around to see little activity and finally gets to the point. “Listen, Epaphras, we’ve been watching you for sometime now, and I… Well, we think you’re ready.”
Epaphras jolts his head back in response. “Ready?” He rebuts. “Ready for what?”
The two slowly stroll down the sloped road as Aquila gathers his thoughts. Finally, he offers. “Listen, there are times to learn… and there are times to lead. God brings us together to grow us in our faith. But it doesn’t stop there. We grow so that God will commission us to branch out and grow others in their faith.”
“But…” Epaphras begins to interrupt. “I’m not ready…”
“You’re ready enough.” Aquila replies. “You know what we do and how we do it.”
Shaking his head, Epaphras tries to explain. “I… I don’t know what to say or even where to begin.”
“Ah son.” Aquila says. “Your mess is to be your message. You simply share what God has done with you and you’ll find that is exactly what others need to hear.”
Epaphras goes quiet as the two continue to slowly walk. Eventually he asks, “Colossae?”
“Yes. To start.” Aquila says. “Laodicea and Hierapolis are not far away. However, Colossae is your hometown, so yes you’ll want to start there. Your family needs to hear about Messiah. They need the Holy Spirit, my friend. And, there are others already in Colossae who have an interest, so it’s time to reveal what God is up to.”
…
Dimitrius sets down a silver effegie and rises from his stool to watch small clusters of people walking in the same direction. He turns back to look at several of his employees who also stop to see what has caught his attention. He then motions at them. “You keep working.” He says. “I’ll be back in a bit.”
He saunters over to the next merchant bay and flags the attention of another businessman. “Linus!” He yells out.
Hearing his name, Linus looks up from his own work to see Dimitrius waving him over. “I’ll be back, guys. Keep at it.” He says. Joining Dimitrius in the middle of the road, the two look around to take in the stream of people all heading in one direction. “Where are they going?” Linus asks.
“I don’t know for sure.” DImitrius responds. “But I have an uneasy feeling about this. Let’s see where they lead us.”
The two walk along the agora and follow the trickle of people along a maze of backstreets. “Men… women… of all ages… all ethnicities…” Dimitrius observes. “What is happening here?”
Now annoyed by the question, Linus says. “Let’s just ask someone.” Without waiting for Dimitrius to respond, Linus walks over to two younger men who seem to be following the stream of people. “Hey, you two. What is happening? Where are you going?”
Huddled in their own conversation, one of the younger men looks up and sees that the merchant is talking to them. “Oh, no we don’t need anything. We’re on our way somewhere.”
Linus shakes his head. “I’m not trying to sell you anything. I’m asking you. Where are you and just about everyone else on this road going?”
“Oh.” The young man says, realizing he misunderstood the previous question. He then points over at a dilapidated building some several hundred feet away. “There.” He says. “See where all the others are heading?”
“Yes, I see it.” Dimitrius finally engages. “What is happening there that would attract so many people?”
“You don’t know?” One of the young men asks. “That’s our training center.” He says.
Linus and Dimitrius exchange a concerned glance.
“Training center?” Dimitrius asks. “Training for what?”
“We’re already late.” The other younger man says. “C’mon, we won’t be able to find a place to sit.” He hurries his pace.
The other young man agrees and catches up.
Dimitrius yells out again. “Training for what?” He turns back to Linus. “What, are they training for war?” He asks. “Is this some sort of insurrection against Rome? What is happening?”
“Let’s just follow them and see for ourselves.” Linus says, as he pushes Dimitrius closer to the building.
As the two draw closer to the main doors, they are met by a pool of people seated outside just trying to listen in. Instead of hearing one person, they see several smaller groups huddled around individuals nearby who appear to be leading. A cacophony of voices are nearly indiscernible to the casual listener.
“What is the meaning of…” Dimitrius barks out.
Immediately, those listening turn and shush him, waving at him to keep quiet.
Befuddled, Dimitrius is at a loss of what to say and remains quiet.
Linus then walks over to an older man who isn’t able to hear what is being said from inside the hall. “Hello.” He whispers.
The man acknowledges Linus with a slight wave.
Linus gestures around to the crowd of people, “What are you doing here?”
“Who, me?” He says. “Oh…” The man’s eyes widen with understanding. “You mean all of us, don’t you.”
Linus nods, as Dimitrius maneuvers through the seated crowd to join him.
“Haven’t you heard?” The man asks with earnest curiosity. He then circles around to peek through the doors. “Hmmmm, I’m not seeing… wait, there he is.” He says while pointing into the room.
“There who is?” Dimitrius asks.
“The Jew from Syria. He has told us about how the Most High God recently became a man and lived among the Jews.” The man exclaims.
With an amused look on his face, Linus looks over at Dimitrius and jokes. “A god becoming a man? What is that all about? Sounds like a demotion to me.”
“Not at all!” The man says aloud.
“Shhhhh!” Several around him whisper out.
“Sorry!” The man mouths softly. He then repeats to Linus in a hushed voice. “Not at all. The Most High God becoming a man might seem like a weak god, but quite the contrary… To step into the realm of humanity just demonstrates the lengths God will go to rescue us.”
“Rescue us?” Linus scoffs. “From what? Why would God be remotely interested in rescuing us? Why would this god even care?”
“Shhhhhhh!” Many more call out.
The older man steps a few feet away from the seated crowd and waves Linus over.
Dimitrius watches Linus take the bait, as the two huddle together in a more detailed conversation. He then rolls his eyes and sighs. “Eyes on the prize Linus. Eyes… on the prize… you gullible oaf.”
…
We’re going to stop here for today:
Dimitrius personally encounters the Christ-following community here in Ephesus after he and a fellow business owner followed some believers over to their gathering place. As we continue in our study of Acts 19, we’ll find out soon enough that this confirmed Dimitrius’ concerns. He didn’t like what he saw, and he would strengthen his resolve to fight it.
Ephesus hit a tipping point after Paul had been there for several months. The Hall of Tyrranus was consistently packed with disciples who were actively training one another. Yes, the church in Ephesus was a training center. It was a movement of disciple making and deploying. Just as Aquila was preparing Epaphras to facilitate a disciple-making movement back in his hometown of Colossae, Paul and his growing team was turning Ephesus into what would become the new “sending” center for all future ministry throughout modern day Turkey and Greece.
Meanwhile, Timothy is still in Corinth and would receive notification from the returning Sosthanes to head up to Macedonia with a ministry partner. Whether Paul selected Erastus or that Timothy chose him, we’re not totally sure, but Timothy and Erastus would visit the churches in Berea, Thessalonica, and Philippi. Paul, Timothy, and others had spent time in each city. In both Philippi and Thessalonica, Paul barely escaped within an inch of his life. Timothy, however, was able to stay behind in each city to quietly continue teaching without feeling like he was wearing a bullseye. So, he would teach for a while longer and provide the faith foundations needed for each ministry to continue on without him. After assessing the well being of these churches, Timothy was to then travel to Ephesus, report back to Paul and figure out what would be needed from there.
The churches and disciple-making efforts started in each city needed ongoing attention. To continue without Timothy or Paul’s instruction would prove to be challenging for these fledgling churches. Without having a clear understanding about the faith and how Jesus seismically changed thinking within Judaism, the infant church’s leadership would likely revert back to conventional Judaism. Why? Because most of the leaders in these churches had strong Jewish roots. It’s what they knew.
We’ve discussed at length in previous episodes how Messiah’s first coming unleashed the Holy Spirit and the rolling out of the promised New Covenant. Paul wrote about this new way of thought more than any other New Testament writer, and he expressed deep concern over the tendency for these predominantly Jewish teachers to revert back to pre-Messianic thinking.
Even in some of his letters to these and other churches, Paul warns of those teachers trying to infuse the two vastly different systems of thought. In Galatians, Paul goes to extensive lengths to explain how the Law of Moses, that which was upheld and taught in Judaism at the time, was necessary to understand God’s rules for living. However, Paul diverges as he further explains how the Law of Moses was powerless to change the hearts of the individuals trying to follow it. Whereas Judaism taught that God’s favor came with obedience to the Law, Paul taught that the “way of faith” empowered by the work of the indwelling Spirit would be needed to bring about the favor of God. Paul further explained how those following this “way of faith” would no longer be under the authority or the penalty of the Law. Why? Because anyone who practices “the way of faith” will supernaturally be in alignment with God and be the recipient of God’s promised inheritance given to Abraham. In a complex passage to the Galatians, Paul explains the reasons for the Law and how the “way of faith” has replaced it.
Why the Law then? It was added on account of the violations, having been ordered through angels at the hand of a mediator, until the Seed (Messiah) would come to whom the promise had been made. Now a mediator is not for one party only; but God is only one. Is the Law then contrary to the promises of God? Far from it! For if a law had been given that was able to impart life, then righteousness would indeed have been based on law. But the Scripture has confined everyone under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.
But before faith came, we were kept in custody under the Law, being confined for the faith that was destined to be revealed. Therefore the Law has become our guardian to lead us to Christ, so that we may be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian. For you are all sons and daughters of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to promise.
– Galatians 4:19-29
There is a lot happening in this passage, right? Paul drops a bomb on those teachers who are trying to marry Judaism and the “way of faith”. Even some within the Jerusalem church weren’t too enthusiastic about Paul’s teaching here. So much so, that James and the Jerusalem elders warned Paul about looking a little too Gentle for their comfort. Paul was unbelievably edgy, and the Jewish Christians didn’t like it. Later in Acts 21, Paul arrives in Jerusalem, and he is warned about his reputation as a “Gentile Lover” and how he has little regard for the Law.
The next day Paul went with us to meet with James, and all the elders of the Jerusalem church were present. After greeting them, Paul gave a detailed account of the things God had accomplished among the Gentiles through his ministry. After hearing this, they praised God. And then they said, “You know, dear brother, how many thousands of Jews have also believed, and they all follow the law of Moses very seriously. But the Jewish believers here in Jerusalem have been told that you are teaching all the Jews who live among the Gentiles to turn their backs on the laws of Moses. They’ve heard that you teach them not to circumcise their children or follow other Jewish customs.
– Acts 21:18-21
While misunderstanding the purpose of the Law, as he would explain over and over and over throughout his writings, Paul did what was necessary to placate the Jewish Christians there in Jerusalem. However, he did not agree with their hybrid doctrine of infusing the Law with the Gospel message. To the churches he helped build, Paul repeatedly warned about this watered down understanding of the New Covenant promises and the dangers of trying to marry the Law with the Gospel. In this, Paul echoed Jesus’ warnings of the lunacy of trying to fill old wineskins with new wine or tearing up a new garment to patch up a worn out garment (Luke 5:36-37). Neither can nor should be done. In the same way, to join the obedience to the Law, a work of the flesh, and the “way of faith”, which is a work of the Spirit, neither can nor should be done. They are not compatible.
This is the reason he sent Timothy and Erastus back to Macedonia. He wanted to make sure that Judaism wasn’t creeping back into the training among the disciples. It’s also the reason he himself went back to Macedonia after Timothy came to him with a report.
One such example of Paul’s many warnings can be found in Philippians 3.
Beware of the dogs, beware of the evil workers, beware of the false circumcision; for we are the true circumcision, who worship in the Spirit of God (the way of faith) and take pride in Christ Jesus, and put no confidence in the flesh, although I myself could boast as having confidence even in the flesh. If anyone else thinks he is confident in the flesh, I have more reason: circumcised the eighth day, of the nation of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the Law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to the righteousness which is in the Law, found blameless. But whatever things were gain to me, these things I have counted as loss because of Christ.
– Philippians 3:2-7
Here Paul is warning the Philippian church not to go back to their old ways of doing things or to let these false teachers undo what he had established. This was a very real threat for many of the churches (See Galatians 2:1-21, Ephesians 2:11-22) and even remains so to the present day.
This was one of Paul’s most important messages to the many churches he served: Do not confuse a work of the Spirit with the work of the flesh. They are incompatible with one another. We are either aiming to let the Spirit of God pour out the grace of God upon us as we move about each day… or we are striving, competing, stressing, straining, and struggling to make God happy with us through our obedience to the Law. The first is all about God in us; Whereas the latter is all about us trying to reach God.
Well, there is much more we can say about this, but we need to wrap things up for now. May you see the difference between a work of the Spirit within you versus you trying to impress God. Believe me, apart from His working within you from the inside out, God will be far from impressed. Instead of trying to dazzle God with your good works, make it your goal today to simply believe in God’s provision of Jesus to bring you to Himself… and let Him change you from the inside out. With that… let’s move forward… together.